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1
[141]
At this treatment Pompey was very angry, and took Aristobulus into
custody. And when he was come to the city, he looked about where he might
make his attack; for he saw the walls were so firm, that it would be hard
to overcome them; and that the valley before the walls was terrible; and
that the temple, which was within that valley, was itself encompassed with
a very strong wall, insomuch that if the city were taken, that temple would
be a second place of refuge for the enemy to retire to.

[142]
Now as be was long in deliberating about this matter, a sedition
arose among the people within the city; Aristobulus's party being willing
to fight, and to set their king at liberty, while the party of Hyrcanus
were for opening the gates to Pompey; and the dread people were in occasioned
these last to be a very numerous party, when they looked upon the excellent
order the Roman soldiers were in. So Aristobulus's party was worsted, and
retired into the temple, and cut off the communication between the temple
and the city, by breaking down the bridge that joined them together, and
prepared to make an opposition to the utmost; but as the others had received
the Romans into the city, and had delivered up the palace to him, Pompey
sent Piso, one of his great officers, into that palace with an army, who
distributed a garrison about the city, because he could not persuade any
one of those that had fled to the temple to come to terms of accommodation;
he then disposed all things that were round about them so as might favor
their attacks, as having Hyrcanus's party very ready to afford them both
counsel and assistance.

[145]
But Pompey himself filled up the ditch that was oil the north side
of the temple, and the entire valley also, the army itself being obliged
to carry the materials for that purpose. And indeed it was a hard thing
to fill up that valley, by reason of its immense depth, especially as the
Jews used all the means possible to repel them from their superior situation;
nor had the Romans succeeded in their endeavors, had not Pompey taken notice
of the seventh days, on which the Jews abstain from all sorts of work on
a religious account, and raised his bank, but restrained his soldiers from
fighting on those days; for the Jews only acted defensively on sabbath
days. But as soon as Pompey had filled up the valley, he erected high towers
upon the bank, and brought those engines which they had fetched from Tyre
near to the wall, and tried to batter it down; and the slingers of stones
beat off those that stood above them, and drove them away; but the towers
on this side of the city made very great resistance, and were indeed extraordinary
both for largeness and magnificence.

[148]
Now here it was that, upon the many hardships which the Romans underwent,
Pompey could not but admire not only at the other instances of the Jews'
fortitude, but especially that they did not at all intermit their religious
services, even when they were encompassed with darts on all sides; for,
as if the city were in full peace, their daily sacrifices and purifications,
and every branch of their religious worship, was still performed to God
with the utmost exactness. Nor indeed when the temple was actually taken,
and they were every day slain about the altar, did they leave off the instances
of their Divine worship that were appointed by their law; for it was in
the third month of the siege before the Romans could even with great difficulty
overthrow one of the towers, and get into the temple. Now he that first
of all ventured to get over the wall, was Faustus Cornelius the son of
Sylla; and next after him were two centurions, Furius and Fabius; and every
one of these was followed by a cohort of his own, who encompassed the Jews
on all sides, and slew them, some of them as they were running for shelter
to the temple, and others as they, for a while, fought in their own defense.

[150]
And now did many of the priests, even when they saw their enemies
assailing them with swords in their hands, without any disturbance, go
on with their Divine worship, and were slain while they were offering their
drink-offerings, and burning their incense, as preferring the duties about
their worship to God before their own preservation. The greatest part of
them were slain by their own countrymen, of the adverse faction, and an
innumerable multitude threw themselves down precipices; nay, some there
were who were so distracted among the insuperable difficulties they were
under, that they set fire to the buildings that were near to the wall,
and were burnt together with them. Now of the Jews were slain twelve thousand;
but of the Romans very few were slain, but a greater number was wounded.

[152]
But there was nothing that affected the nation so much, in the calamities
they were then under, as that their holy place, which had been hitherto
seen by none, should be laid open to strangers; for Pompey, and those that
were about him, went into the temple itself 2
whither it was not lawful for any to enter but the high priest, and saw
what was reposited therein, the candlestick with its lamps, and the table,
and the pouring vessels, and the censers, all made entirely of gold, as
also a great quantity of spices heaped together, with two thousand talents
of sacred money. Yet did not he touch that money, nor any thing else that
was there reposited; but he commanded the ministers about the temple, the
very next day after he had taken it, to cleanse it, and to perform their
accustomed sacrifices. Moreover, he made Hyrcanus high priest, as one that
not only in other respects had showed great alacrity, on his side, during
the siege, but as he had been the means of hindering the multitude that
was in the country from fighting for Aristobulus, which they were otherwise
very ready to have done; by which means he acted the part of a good general,
and reconciled the people to him more by benevolence than by terror. Now,
among the Captives, Aristobulus's father-in-law was taken, who was also
his uncle: so those that were the most guilty he punished with decollatlon;
but rewarded Faustus, and those with him that had fought so bravely, with
glorious presents, and laid a tribute upon the country, and upon Jerusalem
itself.

[155]
He also took away from the nation all those cities that they had
formerly taken, and that belonged to Celesyria, and made them subject to
him that was at that time appointed to be the Roman president there; and
reduced Judea within its proper bounds. He also rebuilt Gadara, 3
that had been demolished by the Jews, in order to gratify one Demetrius,
who was of Gadara, and was one of his own freed-men. He also made other
cities free from their dominion, that lay in the midst of the country,
such, I mean, as they had not demolished before that time; Hippos, and
Scythopolis, as also Pella, and Samaria, and Marissa; and besides these
Ashdod, and Jamnia, and Arethusa; and in like manner dealt he with the
maritime cities, Gaza, and Joppa, and Dora, and that which was anciently
called Strato's Tower, but was afterward rebuilt with the most magnificent
edifices, and had its name changed to Cesarea, by king Herod. All which
he restored to their own citizens, and put them under the province of Syria;
which province, together with Judea, and the countries as far as Egypt
and Euphrates, he committed to Scaurus as their governor, and gave him
two legions to support him; while he made all the haste he could himself
to go through Cilicia, in his way to Rome, having Aristobulus and his children
along with him as his captives. They were two daughters and two sons; the
one of which sons, Alexander, ran away as he was going; but the younger,
Antigonus, with his sisters, were carried to Rome.

1 HOW POMPEY HAD THE CITY OF JERUSALEM DELIVERED UP TO HIM
BUT TOOK THE TEMPLE BY FORCE. HOW HE WENT INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES; AS ALSO
WHAT WERE HIS OTHER EXPLOITS IN JUDEA.

2 Thus
says Tacitus: Cn. Pompelna first of all subdued the Jews, and went into
their temple, by right of conquest, Hist. B. V. ch. 9. Nor did he touch
any of its riches, as has been observed on the parallel place of the Antiquities,
B. XIV. ch. 4. sect. 4, out of Cicero himself.

3 The
coin of this Gadara, still extant, with its date from this era, is a certain
evidence of this its rebuilding by Pompey, as Spanheim here assures us.

Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.

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